Altrincham to Hale... via Stockport?

[gnolife]

Good afternoon all.

I've just had a look on BRfares for the cost of a Altrincham to Hale ticket, and found that they are all routed via Stockport. Does the route restriction take priority, and I have to travel via Stockport, or does the rule prohibiting doubling back take priority, and I have to travel on a direct service between the two, or do I have to consider both, and travel via Chester?

I admit that the first and epecially the third possibility are decidedly unlikely, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

 

[yorkie]

Does the route restriction take priority, and I have to travel via Stockport

You are permitted to travel via Stockport.

The direct route is, however, a protected route and covered by through trains, so they cannot force you to travel via Stockport.

or does the rule prohibiting doubling back take priority

There are no mapped routes between Altrincham & Hale, so none of the rules regarding determining mapped routes apply.

and I have to travel on a direct service between the two

You are permitted to travel on a through train between Hale & Altrincham

or do I have to consider both, and travel via Chester?

via Chester wouldn't be permitted. See 3.6 Tickets routed via stations that are not on a permitted route

 

[brompton rail]

I don't understand! Why would you travel via Stockport to go from Altrincham to Hale. It is the next stop and three minutes away.

 

[yorkie]

I don't understand! Why would you travel via Stockport to go from Altrincham to Hale. It is the next stop and three minutes away.

It's a mistake. It allows cheap travel to/from Stockport until it's fixed though, which probably won't be long now the anomaly has been exposed.

 

[brompton rail]

Ah, now I do understand! Cheers.